U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,959 describes an operating handle mechanism arranged for rapid connection and disconnection of the switch contacts by means of a powerful operating spring. The operating spring overcenters during the ON-OFF and OFF-ON movement of the handle operator and the contact separation is deferred by means of a retainer spring until the operating spring is overcentered. The rapid make and break connection between the switch contacts substantially reduces the magnitude of the arc that occurs when the contacts are separated while the switch is energized.
When several such switches are mounted within a panelboard assembly, the switches are arranged for either "left-hand" or "right-hand" operation within the panelboard enclosure. Since the manually-driven operating mechanism links with the rotor assembly to drive the contacts between their closed and opened positions, a left-handed operating mechanism is generally arranged with a left-handed rotor-driven contact assembly. A right-handed operating mechanism accordingly is associated with a right-handed rotor-driven contact assembly.
To substantially reduce the inventory requirements of left-handed operating mechanisms and rotor assemblies along with right-handed operating mechanisms and rotor assemblies this invention proposes to provide a versatile disconnect switch containing a common operating mechanism and rotor assembly arranged for either left-handed operation, right-handed operation or both.